


The Knight and the Scavenger

by magentacartherwrites



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Attraction, F/M, Fights, Fluff and Angst, Interrogation, Love/Hate, Original Character Death(s), Rating May Change, Some Canon/Some Original, Spoilers, Unrequited Love, Unresolved Romantic Tension
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-03
Updated: 2016-03-26
Packaged: 2018-05-11 08:54:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5620930
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/magentacartherwrites/pseuds/magentacartherwrites
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kylo Ren has captured the Scavenger from Jakku and now has her at his mercy as he interrogates her about the missing piece of the map to Luke Skywalker ... But what is it about her?  What is it that makes her so special?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Interrogation

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys! So this is my first Reylo Fan Fic and as I stated in the tags, some of these chapters happened in the movie, some that I will be writing did not, so this story is a mix of Canon and Non-Canon and of course will be filled with spoilers so if you have not seen the movie yet, read at your own discretion . I, of course, will put trigger warnings before any chapter that I feel should have them, I hope you all enjoy and please comment letting me know what you think about it! :D

Rey’s head was throbbing with a painful intensity that she had never felt before. She attempted to move her hands but to no avail as they were bound tightly along with her ankles to the contraption she was braced up against. It took her a moment to clear her thoughts as she tried to remember what had happened before she passed out. _Running through the woods, hiding from the enemy, firing her blaster, trying to defend herself against the masked knight…._

“Where am I?”

“You’re my guest,” replied the man crouching in the shadows before her, in a tone that wasn’t as threatening as it should have been.

It suddenly dawned on Rey that there was no one else in the room besides herself and the masked man. There weren’t even stormtroopers guarding the room from possible intruders. She felt so uneasy despite the lack of threat the Knight currently posed to her… She felt vulnerable, and she hated feeling that way!

_Where was Finn? Han and Chewie? Were they alright?_

“Where are the others?” She asked a calmly as she could, hoping for the best but bracing herself for the worst.

_If you’ve hurt them, I swear…._

“You mean the murders, traitors, and thieves you call friends? You’ll be relived to hear I have no idea.”

_Oh, thank God!_

“You still want to kill me,” the man said said, tilting his head ever so slightly. It wasn’t a question really, but more of an amused comment.

“That’s usually what happens when you’re being hunted by a creature in a mask…,” Rey spat to the Knight unflinchingly. She felt braver now that she knew for a fact that her friends had escaped from the man's grasp.

Without another word, Kylo Ren moved his hands to the sides of the scuffed up mask and released the latches.  He drew up to his full height now, which seemed miles above Rey’s petite body.  His helmet was removed in a swift, fluid motion to reveal pitiful, dark eyes and an even darker mop of hair.

This… this was _not_ what she was expecting! She thought that beneath that mask would’ve been a disfigured, horrifying creature, hardly human and incapable of feeling any kind of emotion other than the hatred and anger that fueled them. But this… This was a _boy_! And not even a threatening looking boy at that… just a boy!

The Knight deposited his mask with a resounding _THUD_ in a pyre filled with what looked like ashes.  Rey tried her best not to imagine where the ashes came from. 

With slow, long strides, Kylo stalked toward the restrained girl, his eyes locked onto hers.

Who was this girl? She must have some shred of importance to her if the droid allowed her to view the map. But how could that be? She was a scavenger… A _nobody_! Probably earned her daily bread through pawning off scraps of metal like most everyone else on that godforsaken wasteland of a planet. She didn’t look as thin and malnourished as he was expecting her to, so she must have been good at what she did.

_Focus!_

“Tell me about the droid.”

Without hesitation, Rey answered, “He’s a BB Unit with a selenium drive and a thermal hypescan vindicator….”

“And it’s carrying a section of a navigational chart,” Kylo interrupted, not allowing her to distract him, “We have the rest. Recovered from the archives of the Empire, but we need the last piece and somehow you convinced the droid to show it to you. You… A _scavenger_. You know I can take whatever I want…,” He said so gently that it made goose bumps spout on Rey’s arms.

The Knight moved in even closer to the girl now, so much so that she could feel his uneven breaths prickle against her neck. He raised his hand and nearly touched the side of her face as he began his work.

He was probing her, digging through her memories, filtering through the darkest recesses of her mind to find what he wanted… But instead he found something else!

“So lonely…,” Kylo muttered softly under his breath, “So afraid to leave. At night, desperate to sleep, you imagine an ocean… I see it... I see the island. And Han Solo…,” Rey recoiled as he mentioned the smuggler's name, “You feel like he’s the father that you never had… He would’ve disappointed you!”

“Get out of my head,” the scavenger demanded fiercely though grit teeth.

The Knight was in front of Rey now, arm outstretched, fingers reaching out towards her in attempt to locate the information he desired. She was strong; he’d give her that. Maybe it wasn’t even strength, maybe it was just her stubbornness. Even after appealing to her emotional side, she still refused to break.

“I know you’ve seen the map… It’s in there. And now you’ll give it to me.”

Though he was stood tall and confidently, his voice quivered.

Rey felt the invisible strings of the force pull her towards the Knight’s outstretched hand and though she tried to resist, his grasp on her was strong.

"Don’t be afraid, I feel it too," Kylo whispered as he delved even further into the scavenger’s mind.

_Where was it... Where was the map to Skywalker?!_

"I'm not giving you anything," Rey exclaimed through gasps of breath. She truly was a fighter!

Kylo smirked in response, "We'll see!"

The Knight certainly admired her unyielding resistance towards him but he was becoming impatient. He needed the information and he needed it now! He knew that if he didn't get the map out of the girl, the First Order would, and by much more savage means. Why couldn't she just cooperate?

Rey's head was hurting now more than ever! Kylo's strong grasp on her mind was making it feel like it was being torn apart from the inside. As each second passed, Rey found that it was becoming increasingly difficult for her to breath. Was he really becoming so frustrated with her that he reverted to choking the information out of her with the Force? Well if he was, it would not work... she would not break!

A sudden pulse of energy surged through Rey's fragile body. She could feel... _Something_! She didn't know what it was or how it suddenly came to happen but it was taking control of her, making her feel powerful... More powerful than the man before her!

The Knight must've felt the surge as well because his face looked strained as he attempted to keep his control over the scavenger. Suddenly, he felt as though his own thoughts were becoming bare, like the girl could see into his mind just as he could with hers. But that was not possible... all of the Jedi were slaughtered! This girl... This _scavenger_... This inconsequential junk collector from Jakku could not be strong with the force! It simply wasn't possible!

And all at once, everything was laid out for Rey to see... All the fear, the anger, the disappointment, and even the surprising admiration poured from the Knight's mind into hers as she felt the power pulse through her. She was fighting back now, pushing against his advances on her and cornering him to where there was nowhere to hide, not even inside his own thoughts was he safe anymore.

" _You_...," she hissed to the cowering Knight, "You're afraid… that you will never be as strong as Darth Vader!"

She could feel Kylo's retract his grasp on her mind immediately, leaving them both exhausted and panting from the experience. The Knight stumbled backwards as he tried to process what had just occurred. She had bested him... _HIM!_ The leader of the Knights of Ren, the last of the Jedi, the protégé of Supreme Leader Snoke, and commander of the First Order and he was overpowered by a scrawny little no-name from a junkyard planet!

He needed to know more about this girl... She could've very well been a key asset in the First Order conquering the galaxy. Perhaps once his training with Supreme Leader Snoke was completed, he could take this girl on as his apprentice, and then who knows what could happen! The possibilities were endless….

Without another word, the knight grabbed for his mask and took a single look back at the still panting, sweat drenched girl bound to the integration chair before quickly dawning his veneer and slipping out of the room.


	2. The Confrontation

_“BEN!”_

The word bounced off the walls of the base and echoed in Kylo Ren’s ears, shaking him to his core as he stopped in his tracks on the catwalk. The Knight hadn’t been called that name in a long time… _A very long time._ He hardly even remembered who that little boy was anymore.

“Han Solo…,” Kylo said as he spun to meet the disappointed gaze of his father… _How typical!_   “I’ve been waiting for this day for a long time.”

Solo took slow, tentative steps towards his son whether out of trepidation or necessity of age.  _Goodness, he’d gotten old!_   When he was younger, Kylo used to think that his father could never age, that he would always remain that young swashbuckling space smuggler that always had the ladies swooning over him.  How ignorant he was back then.

“Take off that mask, you don't need it,” Han said gruffly.

“What do you think you will find if I do?”

“The face of my son….” His father’s voice changed suddenly.  It wasn't the coarse, gravelly tone that he was accustomed too, but now much softer and vulnerable… and sad.  Kylo understood why he would be sad… after everything he had done, all the people he killed, the betrayal of his family.  He didn't even know how his father was able to look him in the eye and call him by that innocent name from so long ago.

After a moment of thought, the Knight did as the smuggler requested and removed his helmet.  As he did, he caught a glance of the scavenger and the traitor in the entrance of the base looking out over the railing at he and his father's reunion.  Kylo would not let them distract him... He would deal with them as soon as he was done with Solo.

“You're son is gone,” Kylo said plainly, “he was weak and foolish, like his father, so I destroyed him!”

Han Solo steps quickened towards his child as his sense of urgency was heightened… _He couldn't possibly believe that he is lost forever! He must know that he can still come back!_

“That's what Snoke wants you to believe, but it's not true!  My son is alive!”

“No, the Supreme Leader is wise,” the knight spoke softly as he defended his master.

“Snoke is using you for your power and when he gets what he wants, he’ll crush you! You know it’s true.”

 _There it was!_   That flicker of doubt in his son’s eyes.  He _did_ know that it was true, but he refused to believe it!  There was still a chance to save him… to bring him to the light again... to bring him home!

“It’s too late,” the boy whispered sadly, almost like he didn’t want to believe it himself.

“No, no it’s not,” Han assured as he came toe to toe with the Knight, “Come home with me... We miss you!”

It had been _years_ since Han had last seen his son.  He had grown so much that he now towered over him, probably helpful for the intimidation factor, but luckily he still had retained his sweet face and his mother's innocent brown eyes.  Despite all that he had done, he was still the little boy that he and Leia had sent off to train with Luke all those years ago.  He was still Ben.  He just needed help finding himself again in all the muddled darkness. 

Kylo’s eyes were welling up now, but he refused to let himself shed a single tear.

“I’m being torn apart,” he said, his voice weak and distressed, “I want to be free of this pain! I-I know what I have to do but I don't know if I have the strength to do it… Will you help me?”

“Yes, of course,” Han sighed in relief as a small smile broke across his weathered face… His son would be okay. 

Kylo released his tight grip on his helmet and the mask fell to the metal floor with a loud _THUD_.

This was his chance… His chance to give himself fully to the light again.  Embrace it as if it was an old familiar friend.  Go home and hold his mother… he truly did miss her.  Find Luke and attempt to apologize for all of the anguish he had caused him, and not expect even the slightest hint of forgiveness from him. He could even help the Resistance to fight against Supreme Leader Snoke and the First Order.

Kylo unlatched his hilted lightsaber from his belt and held it in his hands, considering.

Thoughts swirled through Kylo Ren’s mind, caught in a tide pool of confusion and uncertainty.  _Would we even be able to return to the light?  Was he already too far gone?_

What little light that was left from the draining sun slowly dissipated as the last of the star was drained.  Kylo and Han were left in the darkness, with only the red lights on the the catwalk illuminating their faces.

The knight could feel his hands trembling as he slowly handed his lightsaber over to his father. Han grasped the weapon gently, but he did not take it.  He wanted his son to willingly give it to him and let go of the darkness that he so tightly clung to.

They stood there for what felt like an eternity, just looking each other in the eyes.  This was it… this was the moment that would determine the course of Kylo’s fate forever.

The silence was deafening.  The traitor, scavenger, Han Solo, and even the wookie were dead quiet as they waited for the knight to make his decision.  The voice’s in Kylo’s head were screaming at him to give the lightsaber and himself over to the light… To give in.  And he was tempted to!  _You don’t have to do this!  There are other options.  You can go home… They want you home!  Your family loves you and needs you back!  You know there is good in you!_

Unfortunately, there was another voice in there as well… A much darker, stronger voice ordering him to do what he knew had to be done.  Try as he might to listen to the pleas of the light, the dark was drowned them out with it’s violent demands.  _Do it!  It’s the only way to fully commit to the dark side!  You know it is!  He was never a father to you!  They could never accept you as one of their own after what you’ve done.  They could never forgive you!  They would look at you like the monster that you are.  The murdering, violent, short-tempered Kylo Ren… That’s who you are now, and it was to late to change that.  Far too late!  Ben Solo is dead!  So what are you waiting for?  DO IT!_

_ENOUGH!_

Making his decision, Kylo Ren ignited his hilted saber and drove it straight through the chest of his father with as much force as he could muster.  The girl from Jakku screamed in horror as the wookie released a piercing howl of agony but Kylo didn’t hear it… he didn’t hear any of it.  He was to lost in his father’s eyes that had remained locked on him to notice anything else going on around him.

The Knight drove the saber in even further through the smuggler to try and shake his gaze from him, but it was no use.

"Thank you," the knight choked out as he roughly pulled the weapon from his father's body. 

Han’s sad eyes were locked on his son as he raised a trembling hand and laid it gently on his cheek, sending a chill down the Knight’s body.  Kylo remembered how he used to do that when he was a young boy, as a reassurance that he would return from wherever it was that he went off to.  But now, he was leaving and he was never going to come back. 

Kylo could once again feel tears threatening to roll down his face as he remembered such sad, personal memories.  He would not show weakness, even if he could feel it.  He wasn’t going to let his decision be swayed or altered because of his emotions.  He would not allow himself to feel the remorse that was building up deep inside of him as his father’s hand slipped from his face and he fell lifeless into the cavernous abyss of the Starkiller Base.

Once again, the Wookie cried out, but this time there was nothing to distract Kylo from hearing it.  Chewbacca angrily took aim and shot his laser crossbow directly at the Knight, slicing clean through the left side of his stomach and leaving a considerable wound.  Kylo knelt down wincing in pain and cursing himself for not being more attentive.  He could have easily deflected the bolt with his lightsaber had he not been so distracted by what he had just done! 

Kylo tore his eyes from his bleeding wound and looked up to the entrance of the base to see that the scavenger and traitor were still there, firing at his squadron of stormtroopers.  Now was his chance to deal with them!

Painfully, the Knight pushed himself up onto his feet again and began limping as quickly as he could towards the entrance, his blood now boiling with anger.  _This was all their fault!  They brought him here!  The never should have come here!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all enjoyed this chapter, maybe it made you well up a little bit like I did when I wrote it! Sorry it was a pretty short chapter but the next chapter is the Finn & Rey vs. Kylo Ren fight in the snowy forest so it will be much longer! Let me know what you all think and thanks for reading! :)


	3. The Traitor

Kylo trudged through the deep snow of the forested planet as he pursued the scavenger and traitor; the First Order just _had_ to create their Starkiller Base on a frozen tundra wasteland.  His side was killing him and he was beginning to feel dizzy, probably due to his blood loss, but he was determined to find the resistance fighters.  He was an animal stalking his prey and he would not let them get away.

The cold was a harsh companion for the knight as he trekked across the familiar, frozen terrain.  Swatting at branches and pushing himself off the trees, the knight was limping as fast as was humanly possible deeper and deeper into the dark forest.  Though he was wounded badly, he had an advantage over the resistance fighters… He knew every crack and crevice of the planet and they were absolutely clueless. Sure, FN-2187 had worked on the Starkiller base, but he, nor any other stormtrooper, were allowed outside to explore the terrain without direct orders... Blind leading the blind. 

Some ways into the woodland, Kylo’s hooded cloak caught on a branch and was ripped from his body as he aggressively tried to free it, sending him toppling over into the cold snow.

“ _Dammit_ ,” Kylo cursed through chattering teeth as he pushed himself up onto his knees, clutching his wound.

_Keep going!_

Sucking in a few deep breaths, Kylo struggled to his feet once again.  Though the Knight wore many layers of clothing, they did little to protect his him from the blistering cold and he could feel his feet and the tips of his fingers beginning to go numb. 

_Keep going!  They’re going to get away!  Faster!_

Obeying the voices in his head to the best of his ability, Kylo was now rushing past the trees in a strange combination somewhere between a limp and a run.

Suddenly, from somewhere before him in the woods, the knight heard a familiar voice call out, “The Millennium Falcon’s that way!”

_The traitor!_

Kylo stopped in his tracks and ignited his saber.  They were headed straight for him.  _All too easy!_

The knight relished the look of surprise on the resistance fighter’s faces when they saw him there waiting for them.

“We’re not done yet!"

The look of disgust on the scavengers face spoke volumes to Kylo.  She was just as appalled by what he had done as he was, and probably just as heartbroken too… _Han Solo, you feel like he's the father you never had._

“You're a monster," she spat to the knight, and surprisingly, it actually did hurt him to hear it.

“It's just us now," he said, trying to distracting himself from what the girl had said, "Han Solo can't save you!"

The knight curled his frost bitten fingers into a fist and pounded violently on the left side of his body where his wound was located. The act surprised and confused the resistance fighters as they watched tiny droplets of blood fall from his stained fist into the pure white snow. 

_Draw your power from the pain and anger you feel,_ Snoke would tell him during his training sessions, _for they will be your greatest allies in battle and will draw you closer to the darkness._

After a brief moment of silence, the scavenger girl angrily drew her blaster in attempt to shoot at the knight, but he was quicker.  With a single gesture, Kylo force pushed the girl and sent her flying backwards into the trees.  She roughly smacked into the trunk of one and fell to the snow covered ground unconscious.

The traitor immediately, and foolishly, turned his attention to the girl as he discarded his own blaster and rushed to her side.

"Rey," he cried out as he pulled her limp body into his lap and caressed her face, "Rey! Come on, Rey!”

_Alright, enough of this pointless sentiment!_

The knight twirled his lightsaber in his hand as he took a few steps towards the boy.

“TRAITOR!”

Who was he even talking to… the resistance fighter or himself?  It didn’t matter, but even he couldn't help but be surprised by his sudden outburst.  Maybe he truly was talking to himself.  He was the traitor.  Not like FN-2187 was, but in a sense that when push came to shove, he did consider turning back to the light... to be good.  That made him a traitor to his master, to his teachings, to the first order, and to the dark side.

The resistance fighter slowly rose to his feet and turned to face Kylo Ren, igniting his weapon.

“That lightsaber,” the knight said gesturing to it with his own, “It belongs to me!”

“Come and get it,” the boy said fearlessly as he charged towards Kylo.

The lightsabers clashed and sparks of blue and red instantly went flying.  The boy was incredibly inexperienced but he wildly hacked and swung the weapon at the knight with nothing holding him back.  Kylo was able to block all of his hits, as crazy and random as they were, but he wasn’t quite able to get the upper hand do to his injury.  There was no form or grace to their so called “fight”, but they were certainly fighting to kill. 

Kylo, using all his strength that he could, was finally able to knock the traitor to the ground after delivering a fierce blow with his lightsaber.  The knight once again pounded roughly at his wound to get the hatred flowing.

_It was time to finish this!_

The boy struggled to his feet and charged towards Kylo, lightsaber at the ready.  The weapons clashed once again but this time, the the traitor was actually able to land a hit on the knight as he sliced through his clothing and across his right biceps, leaving a horrible, stinging sensation as the wound cauterized.  Kylo grit his teeth and held his injury as he cursed under his breath.  _What is wrong with me?  Why am I taking more of a beating than he is?  He’s hardly had any experience with a lightsaber!_

The knight took a brief moment to compose himself and then they resumed their fight.  After a few rough swings of their weapons, the knight gained the upper hand and pinned the boy against one of the trees, his lightsaber aiming for the boy's throat, but was blocked by the opposing saber.  Instead of going for the throat like he wanted to, Kylo took the hilt of his own weapon and slowly drove it into the boy’s shoulder, the lightsaber hissing and producing sparks the deeper it went into his flesh. The traitors screams of pain echoed through the trees as he pushed the knight off of him and attempted to swing his own saber with his non-dominant hand.

Taking advantage of the injured boy, it took only moments and a single, swift motion of his weapon for the knight to disarm the traitor and send the saber flying through the air.  Being trained in hand to hand combat since he was young, Kylo was easily able to punch the boy square in the face and disorient him as he delivered the final blow with a lightsaber slice up his spine. The injured boy fell unconsciously to the snowy ground, joining his fellow resistance fighter, as the knight latched his fiery weapon to his belt.

Kylo Ren reached out his hand to the lightsaber that had only moments ago been thrown from FN-2187’s hands and was now residing in the snow.

Nothing….

_Come on_ , Kylo thought impatiently as pulled at the force even more, causing the weapon to wobble slightly in the snow.  With one final gesture, the lightsaber suddenly shot out and whizzed passed the knight, nearly hitting him as it did, and landed in the outstretched hand of the now conscious scavenger girl....

It _was_ her!

 

 


	4. The Knight vs. The Scavenger

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, Sorry I haven't updated in a few weeks but this chapter has been the hardest to write yet! Just a little note that while this chapter is a scene in the movie, this is the chapter where the story will start become my own non-canon story... So from the end of this chapter on out, the story is non-canon!!! Enjoy!!! :)

The scavenger looked just as surprised as Kylo did at the lightsaber responding to her call.  Rey could feel the power of the force surge through her, giving her a sense of bravery that she hadn’t felt moments ago.  She looked down at the weapon and slowly took her stance as she igniting the saber, the blue fluorescence highlighting her now determined face.

The knight twirled his saber in his hand signaling to the girl that he was ready.

With a scream, the scavenger launched herself at Kylo, not properly swinging the lightsaber but doing more along the lines of a stabbing gesture.  She must have had experience with a weapon of some kind as her strikes were much more deliberate and precise than FN-2187’s wild shots. After a few clashes of their saber’s, the Jakku scavenger realized that she was no match for the knight.  Trees and the rocky terrain were being sliced up with the the fiery weapon as Kylo Ren advanced advanced on Rey. She was running now, not even really fighting any more. The girl used her superior agility against the wounded knight as she climbed and rolled off the rocky terrain, out of his reach.

_Clever girl!_

Sparks of blue and red flew from the weapons with every strike.  High on a deadly mix of adrenaline and anger, Kylo hadn’t even realized just how cold he was amidst their battle.  His raven locks clung to his snow dampened face and his wounds, all of them, were stinging horribly.

Why hadn’t he killed the girl yet?  She was clearly fighting to kill so why wasn’t he?

_She’s too important to kill_ , the dark voice answered for him, _You need to recruit her!  Convince her to join us!_  

She _was_ to important!  With the untapped power she that she held deep inside her, she had the potential to become even more powerful than he was. He had to teacher her!  Not Snoke, not the Knights of Ren… _Him_!  Only he would be able to connect with her emotionally... Only he had seen into her mind… Only he could help her to unravel the mystery of her former life. 

The ground beneath their feet began to shake with the same violence as their duel.  The earth cracked and crumbled as Kylo cornered the scavenger on the edge of a cliff, her back to a deep canyon that had been formed by the shifting earth.  The knight and the scavenger’s lightsabers interlocked as Rey fought to keep a firm footing on the precipice.  She was surprised that Kylo didn't used his hilt against her or push her off into the darkness to her death… Surely he would have if he truly wanted to kill her.

“You need a teacher,” the knight said suddenly, desperation filling his every syllable, “I can show you the ways of the Force!”

The words struck a chord deep within Rey.

“The Force,” she muttered to herself, realizing what she had to do

. The scavenger closed her eyes and took a deep breath, calming her mind.  The sounds of the lightsabers, the cold of planet, the hot earth cracking beneath her feet, the frantic beating of her own heart, the knight's eyes bearing down on her searching for an answer… She was in tune with everything around her.

_The Force… it’s calling to you! Just let it in…._

And with that final reassuring thought, the scavenger opened her eyes as she allowed the Force to surround and engulf her with it’s raw power.  With a fierce scream, the Jakku girl summoned all of her strength and pushed the knight’s crackling lightsaber off hers.  She rolled out from under him and put as much distance between herself and the dangerous precipice as possible as she swung the lightsaber, catching the wounded boy off guard as he tried to block her hit.

The fury building up in her eyes with every blow she dealt frightened and intrigued Kylo as their duel pushed them further and further back into the forest.  She was advancing on him now, _not_ the other way around.  Kylo Ren could have blamed his multiple wounds for preventing him from gaining the upper hand once again, and while they certainly weren’t helping in the matter, the knight had another theory… ‘ _She is strong with the force! Untrained, but stronger than she knows!_ ’  His words to Supreme Leader Snoke echoed in his mind.  He had underestimated this little scavenger girl… She was even stronger in the force than he had previously thought!  Inexperienced as she was, there was so much untapped potential in her.

His mind on the possible future and not where it should have been in the present battle, Kylo received a harsh slice from the scavenger’s lightsaber through his thick robing and across his left thigh.  He fell to his knees, which only increased the pain, sputtering and sucking in the cold air as if it would help cauterize the wound faster.

Just as quickly as he fell down, he painfully and regrettably pushed himself back up and sloppily swung his saber at the girl, missing her.  Rey responded in kind with a stab through his shoulder which left the knight stumbling backwards in pain.  The girl slowly strode towards the injured boy as he struggled to keep his footing.  With a violent kick from Rey to his injured chest, the knight landed on his back, his lightsaber sizzling and streaming against the snow.  Harsh, almost animalistic breaths escaped the girl's lips as she paced back and forth waiting for him to get back up.

Kylo saw something in her eyes in that moment that he never thought he would see from someone like her… He saw _darkness_.  The kind of darkness that he witnessed every time he trained with Supreme Leader Snoke… darkness that he prayed to obtain from his grandfather's wisdom and guidance… the same darkness that he failed to gain by killing his father in cold blood!  It frightened him beyond belief to see a girl he previously believed to be so pure and so righteous be filled with so much hatred and resentment towards him.  Those were the traits of a true Sith.

Once again, the knight struggled to his feet, more enraged than ever!  The scavenger girl attempted to swing her lightsaber down on him but he caught the wrist that held the weapon.  Reverting to injuring him manually, her other non-weapon bearing hand swung round trying to hit the knight to which he caught as well.  Now they were arms length apart, hands interlocked, dancing around each other in attempt to avoid the other duelist’s lightsaber.

Despite her petite stature, the scavenger was strong, or maybe Kylo was just weak from his injuries?  The knight knew that he wouldn't be able to keep up his adrenaline rush any longer.  He could feel himself slowly coming off his high and his strength abandoning him as his grip on the girl’s wrists slackened.

God, he was in so much pain!  It was a wonder even to him how he managed to walk away from his very first injury on the catwalk, let alone continue to fight for this long.  Trying to avoid being burnt by Kylo’s weapon, Rey slowly drove the knights saber into the snow causing a column of steam to erupt from the cold earth.  The knight clenched his jaw and practically growled as he tried to brake the scavenger’s hold on his weapon, but her grasp was like iron.

With a final cry, Rey delivered a swift and precise slice with her saber across the boy's face, causing him to drop his own weapon and collapse into the snow defeated.  Kylo did not get up again… he couldn’t!  He was to wounded, to weak, and to mentally unstable at that point to have done anything but just lie there and accept the scavenger’s victory.

The cold of the planet prevented Kylo from feeling the full extent of the injury to his already numb face, but he knew that once the wound was healed, he was going to have quite an extensive scar as a reminder of his failure.  He was thankful that he was at least spared his eyesight on the slashed side of his face.

The earth was shaking now more than ever; Kylo could see the Jakku girl’s body began to rock as the ground beneath her feet crumbled away.  The earth between the knight and the scavenger tore apart, as easily as if it were made of paper, and separated, leaving an impressive trench of molten lava that bubbled up from the planet's core. After a brief glance to one another from opposite sides of the ravine, the girl sheathed her lightsaber and scurried into the woods and out of Kylo’s sight, probably off to find the traitor he had dealt with earlier.

The Knight’s head lolled back onto the cold earth. His vision was blurred and his body numb from a loss of blood… Was he going to die like this?  Defeated, wounded, and by an amateur no less!  Perhaps it would have been better if did die… Save him the embarrassment!

Kylo closed his eyes and waited the earth to swallow him up. He didn't attempt to get up and move… What was the point?  Any movement he might have made would have just caused him to lose even more blood leading him to an even faster death.  So he just laid there and waited.

The wounded knight had always heard of people’s lives flashing before their eyes as they were dying, but that didn’t happen to him.  Just a single memory that he remembered from when we was young playing over and over again, as if it were on repeat in his mind.  He saw his younger self, couldn't have been more than eight or nine years old, being given his very first lightsaber by his Uncle Luke.  It always ended just as he ignited the weapon... his young face so full of hope and determination as it was illuminated by the green fluorescence.  Why that memory in particular was on replay in his mind, he had no idea, and he didn't have the mental capacity or strength at that time to try and think of a reason.  So he just let it play out, over and over and over again, until his eyes slipped shut and his numb body relaxed underneath the cold earth.


	5. Reminiscence: Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Guys! So I FINALLY finished this chapter after working on it for about a month! Phew! It's so much easier writing when you have material of go off of that already exists instead of writing your own original material (But it's also more fun to write original things... More possibilities!) I hope you guys enjoy this chapter and as I stated above, from now on this story is non-cannon. I'll be just how I imagine the story will progress into the next two movies! Enjoy! :)

The sounds of screams filled the Knight's ears.  Whether they were from his former Padawan's in training or his fellow Knights of Ren, Kylo could not decipher.  The darkness and cold rain that plagued the island's shores were not unknown to Kylo in his time there, but today of all days, the storm brewing seemed even more brutal than usual… _How horrifyingly appropriate_!

\--------------------------------

They had come by shuttles to the island.  The Knight's were sitting in silence as the leading freighter neared the shores, but they were too focused on another thing to notice how close they were to their target destination.  The cloaked and masked men were all looking apprehensively to their leader, a young boy of no more than eighteen, who was looking out the window of the shuttle trying to come to terms with what he was about to do.  This island had been his home and haven for seven years... Luke and the other Padawans and students of his were his family.  He had learned so much about the Jedi and the power of the Force here and now he was tasked to do the unthinkable by his new master, Supreme Leader Snoke.  Kylo was thankful for the mask he was dawning at that moment as a silent, hot tear of regret slid down his face.

_How?  How did I get involved in all of this?  I don’t want to do this!  Can I even do this?_

The Knight's haunting thoughts were interrupted by a warning blaring overhead signaling that they were close to their destination.  Kylo turned away from the window and from his feelings of regret as he brought forth the most authoritative voice he could muster at that moment.

“We are nearly there,” He said, his voice muffled and synthesized from the mask he wore, “Our orders are to kill all of the island’s inhabitants.  Not a single person is to make it out alive once we are through… Not a single one!  These are highly trained Jedi and Padawans and they will not be taken down easily so be on guard.  We will regroup once the attack is completed and do a final sweep of the island to look for survivors and runaways.”

The Knights all shook their heads in understanding as they drew up to meet the leaders height.  Kylo's second in command, a Knight of Ren known by the name of Demarcus, strode towards him and placed a hand on the boy's shoulder.

“Are you ready for this?” He asked the young Knight, his tone much more concerned than it was empowering.

Kylo took a deep, evening breath before answering with finality, “Yes.”

Though he was the leader of the Knights of Ren, Kylo had only been with them a short time… no more than a _year_!  This was the first raid that he had been assigned to conduct in that time and Demarcus must have sensed his uncertainty and fear.

God, he was the _worst_ at keeping his emotions in check!  Even when he tried to maintain his cool and in control facade, his fellow Knights could see right through him!  Shaking his head ever so slightly, the knight shrugged off the second in commands hand from his shoulder.  He really shouldn’t have been so dismissive of the gesture, as it was truly appreciated, but the boy had to be strong and not let the sentiment get to him… He wouldn’t let it get to him!  Sentiment made one weak and the was the last thing he needed to be right now, especially considering he was already doubting his ability to carry out the task he had been assigned.

A sudden shudder rocked the shuttle as the aircraft's landed on the rocky terrain of the island.  The young leader turned to his fellow knights that stood before him in preparation for battle, lightsabers unlatched from their belts and at the ready.  Kylo unlatched his own weapon from his belt and with a sharp thrust of his arm, ignited it; the hilted saber crackled and sparked with the same terrifying intensity as it’s young wielder.  Demarcus flipped a switch against the panel wall of controls and the shuttle’s docking door slowly lowered to the rocky surface, allowing the cold to immediately flood into the small shuttle.

“ _Not_. _A_. _Single_. _One_. _Alive_ …,” Kylo Ren proclaimed through grit teeth one final time before signaling to the Knights to advance. 

And advance they did! 

A hundred or so Knights of Ren flooded silently from the shuttles like rainwater from a drain, the only sounds to be heard were the hum of their ignited weapons and the rumbling of the storm brewing overhead.  As he climbed the weathered stone steps that wound round the rocky island, Kylo couldn't help but reminisce on his time spent at the first Jedi Temple.  So many memories had resurfaced to the forefront of his mind, some pleasant and some that he wished he could have forgotten entirely.  The smell of the salt water, the cool, crisp breezes that would sweep over the island, the moss covered stone huts, the training days with the other padawans, building his own lightsaber… Those were the pleasant memories.  But a bad memory resurfaced as well, one that the young knight had always regarded as the turning point in his life. He had remembered that day oh so vividly… the day he had first learned to use the Force.

Kylo had been a late Force user.  Trained and tried as though he might have, he was unable to lift even a single stone until he was of the age thirteen.  By that time in his youth, most of Kylo’s fellow padawans had already become familiar with power of the force and some were even well versed in the use of it.  Luke was patient and worked with his nephew to unleash his inner potential, but the disappointment and feelings of failure began to overtake the impressionable youth.  He was the son of General Leia Organa, nephew to Luke Skywalker, and the grandson of the greatest force user in history, Anakin Skywalker… and he couldn’t even lift a _stone_!

So when that day finally came that the child first felt the push and pull of the Force’s power inside of him, the reaction from his fellow padawans and teachers were not of the expected excitement and happiness, but of shock and horror!

_“I-I don’t know what happened! I just looked at him! I didn’t m-mean to hurt him! I’m sorry… I’m so sorry!”_

_“Ben, Ben, it’s alright... He’s going to be okay. He’s fine. You just need to tell me what happened.”_

_“I t-told you! I don't know what happened! He was making fun of me and I… I-I just looked over at him and he started to choke! You're going to send me away, aren’t you? I don’t want to leave! I’m sorry... I didn't mean to!”_

_“I know, Ben… I know! It’s gonna be alright!”_

But it wasn’t alright… Nothing had been the same after that day.  Suddenly, many of the Padawans didn't want to to train with or even be around young Ben; to afraid of being accidentally injured by the padawan’s new abilities.  He had become more of an outsider than he already was and it just added fuel to the darkness burning deep inside of himself. 

The Knight shook his head, relieving himself of the painful memory.

_Don't get distracted… Focus!_

Kylo and the rest of the Knights of Ren were nearing the stone huts that served as the housing for the students and teachers.  There were about 20 or so stone huts circled round a pavilion of sorts where the Padawans trained and spent most of their time.  The largest and most ornate of the stone dwellings housed Luke Skywalker and the other Jedi masters that taught along side him.

Instinctually, Kylo found himself being drawn to the hut that he used to inhabit along with six other padawans when he was a student.  He and several of his Knights, including Demarcus, silently crept into the hut; the rest were ordered to stay outside and guard.  Kylo trekked across the familiar threshold of the home, passing by several of the sleeping padawans as he did, and stopped directly in form of the cot that he used to bed in.

A small, unfamiliar looking girl was occupying the bed before him… his bed… her young faces was peaceful as she slept.  The knight looked to Demarcus in confusion as to what to do next… How to proceed.

“We will not do anything until you have had the first kill, Kylo,” the second in command explained quietly as to not wake the sleeping children.

_Oh god!_

Kylo could feel his heart racing and heat rising to his hidden face as all eyes bored down on him, waiting in anticipation for him to fulfill the act.  The boy took a final glance down to the sleeping girl… Not so long ago, he was in her place, sleeping peacefully, surrounded by fellow students, eager to start a new day…. There’s no turning back now… _Focus!_

Rising his crackling lightsaber over his head to comply with Demarcus’ request, Kylo brought the weapon down in one fatal swing and brutally slashed through the child's back.  Not a sound was uttered by the child and she remained motionless, her light breathing having been ceased by the lightsaber’s deadly strike.  Kylo suddenly felt numb… the first murder he had ever performed in his life and he had done it to a young, innocent, sleeping girl.

Demarcus’ voice rang out victoriously for Kylo’s kill, and the noise proceeded to wake several of the sleeping padawans.  The children asleep were killed instantly by the Knights, as they did not put up much of a fight, but the few that were awakened by the Knight’s cry immediately grabbed for their lightsabers to defend themselves.  As talented as they were, the young Padawans were no match for the deadly Knights and their multitude of weapons, and soon they all laid slain on the floor of the hut.  Kylo could not believe what he had just witnessed and he found himself not being able to do anything but watch as the massacre unfolded before his eyes.

Before the young Knight knew it, he had been pushed out of the hut by the charging knights and onto a full-fledged battlefield.  Bodies of the Jedi's, Padawan's, and Knights of Ren had already begun to litter the rocky island as the remaining alive battled to the death.  Many of the huts had been set on fire and, despite the pouring down rain, blazed brightly enough to illuminate the assault on the temple as it occurred.

 _Why did I get involved in all of this madness?  I’m not one of them… I’m not a murderer!_ Kylo thought to himself as he stumbled around the pavilion in a terrified daze.

A dark and menacing voice inside his mind was inclined to disagree with him.

 _You are now,_ it proclaimed to him, penetrating his thoughts with it’s dark energy.

His conflicting inner thoughts were interrupted as the body of a girl was suddenly thrown to the ground before him, nearly causing him to topple over into the dirt with her.  He wouldn’t have made anything of it and continued to walk away, just another dead body among the rest, but he noticed that girl wasn’t dead… She was alive and gasping in pain.  She somehow seemed familiar, so the young Knight sheathed his lightsaber, crouched down, and turned the writhing Padawan to face him.

To his surprise, he actually did know the girl!  Her name was Breeah Quinn and she had been a sparring partner of Kylo’s many times during his training at the temple.  He remembered quite vividly how fierce of a fighter she had been despite her petite stature, and yet at the end of the day, she was still a kind and loyal friend… one of the few that he actually had.  Kylo observed the deep lightsaber slash running along the length of her torso as he tried to think of a way to help her, but there was no point… She would be dead before he could do anything.  Tears began to well up in Breeah’s frightened eyes.  Not being able to think of anything else he could do, Kylo raised a hand to her face and caressed her cheek in a comforting manner.  The gesture seemed to have confused and surprised Breeah Quinn, understandably so, but she closed her eyes and nuzzled herself into his hand, enjoying the last act of compassion shown to her before she died.  Kylo held her there until the last breath escaped her lips and she went limp on the cold ground.  Kylo begrudgingly tore his hand away from Breeah’s cold, lifeless face and in a fit of fear, the boy hid himself in a nearby hut that had been spared of the Knight’s flames.  The boy removed his restraining helmet and sucked in several deep breaths of air in attempt to calm himself down, the scent of blood and burnt skin assaulted his senses.

 _Find Luke_ , The dark voice commanded to him, _He’s still on the island! Do not let him get away!_

Kylo nodded his head as if to appease the voice inside his head and ignited his lightsaber.  Taking one last deep breath before he did, the young Knight exited the hut and took off bolting towards his former teacher’s temple.  Kylo bobbed and weaved through the on going battle as he darted towards his destination, attempting to avoid being caught up in the fight himself.  The boy neared the large stone temple and scrambled up the body littered steps.  As he entered the great hall of of the temple, the boy noticed that the dwelling was practically empty.  He assumed that he would have been greeted by several Jedi masters or maybe even some of his men, but it appeared as though the entire temple had been deserted.  There were no dead bodies scattered about the stone floor, no lightsaber marks scratching up the walls, no fire blazing… _nothing_.  It was as if there was never even a battle going on to begin with.

Kylo brushed the rain soaked locks from his face as he began to sweep the temples individual rooms for any signs of life.  Though he had been inside the temple many times with Luke, the Knight had forgotten just how _huge_ the temple itself was!  Rooms upon rooms filled the maze like hallways and each was just as deserted as the one before it.

_Where was everybody?_

Just as the knight was deciding to conclude his search of the temple and look for his uncle elsewhere, that is if he hadn't already left the island, the boy suddenly heard a voice from down the twisting hallway.  It was difficult to be certain from where he was, but it sounded like a man’s voice.

 _“Stay here, I’ll come back for you,”_ he could barley make out the faint voice say as he silently neared the room, _“I’ll come back sweetheart, I promise!”_

That was the last Kylo could make out before a dark, hooded figure rushed forth from the room, his green saber ignited and ready for combat.  At the sight of the young knight standing before him, the Jedi master instead of fighting, quickly turned on his heel and bolted into the opposite direction in attempt to flee.

 _Don't let him get away!_   The dark voice commanded, _Stop him! KILL HIM!_

Kylo immediately stretched out his hand to the running figure and the pull of the force caused the man to stop frozen in his tracks.  He could feel the man fighting against his Force paralysis, making it difficult for the boy to keep control of him.  Strengthening his grasp on the figure even more, he pulled at the Force until the body came bulleting towards him, still paralyzed and unable to escape, and impaled the man with his jagged saber.  After a moment, Kylo retracted his Force grasp on the man’s body and he fell from the weapon and down to the floor dead, his emerald lightsaber laid beside him still ignited.  Second kill of the night... a man that was running away from him and not looking to fight.

_There's someone else in the room… Kill them!_

Kylo turned away from the corpse and slowly stalked into the room is that the man had emerged from. It was a simple boarding. An actual wooden bed, not cot, was placed against an intricately designed stone wall and a large, antique looking wardrobe opposite it.  _Only two places someone could possibly be hiding._

Kylo trekked towards the bed and threw the blankets to the floor to reveal nothing but pillows. Kneeling down to the floor, the knight used his lightsaber to illuminate under the bed only to find nothing as well.  The boy stood and turned to the antique dresser, feeling impatient.

“Where are you?” The knight whispered to the unseen person, trying to coax a sound of fear from them, “ _Where are you_?”

Kylo approached the large wardrobe and used his weapon to slice through the wooden doors only to reveal, yet again, nothing- _except_ , a faint whimper.

“There you are,” Kylo murmured as he knocked against the back of the wardrobe.

Grabbing the top of the bureau, he pulled hard until the dresser toppled to the ground with a large crash, revealing a large, gaping hole in the wall behind where it had stood.  Though it was difficult to see through all the dust and darkness, the glow of Kylo's fiery lightsaber lit the outline of a small child cowering in the annex.  It wasn't until he heard the voice of the child, that small, terrified, _familiar_ voice, that he immediately dropped his sense of intimidation and power. 

_“Ben?”  
_

_“...Rey!”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So what did you guys think? Got Part 2 coming up next and it's gonna be another really good chapter for Kylo's, and to an extent, Rey's characters. So excited for you guys to read it!! :)


End file.
